Front Suspension/Driveshaft Overhaul

[WIL35]

Have started to overhaul the front suspension on my ie coupe. New struts were fitted recently, I have the polybush sets for the wishbones and anti roll bar, new steering rack gaitors, new outer cv joint boots and new bearings, all to be fitted and the parts cleaned up and painted.

Has anyone done any of the above recently and be able to offer some hints and tips or anything they learned while doing it, for example, the best way to get the hub nuts undone! I've already broken one 1/2" drive breaker bar and am now about to try another with a 3/4" drive! Also, how much pressure was needed to get the old bearings out, given that they have been in there for 24 years?

Any help much appreciated!

[MattNoVAT]

Removing hub nuts - either use a decent air gun or a Snap On breaker bar - stick a blow torch on it first too, to get some heat into the nut itself. Brute force and swearing usually works for me!  Failing that, a cole chisel on the nut as its going to be replaced.

Bearing removal can be done if you have a large enough socket and you can beat out the old ones as it does not matter that they get destroyed.  Pressing the new ones in will require a proper Press.  It is possible to make a kind of "Heath Robinson Press" if you have a Bottle Jack, but best to take it to someone that can press them in.  Make sure you grease the outer face and the inside of the hub with assembly grease or copper-slip.

[MattNoVAT]

Oh yeah - and when rebuilding the outer CV's - wear latex gloves !  In fact have lots of them around as its very messy.

[lanciamad]

I did this just last year , New bearings/Springs/Ball joints/Track Rods/Bushes(Wishbone & Anti-roll Bar)/Gaiters.
With regard to the hub nut, the breaker bar method didn't work for me either, if you won't be reusing it, which i guess you won't, and don't have use of an air gun, the method i adopted was to drill through making sure you drill the nut only and don't go through to the hub! (Use the new nut to judge the depth) and then split it with a decent chisel as already mentioned.
Removing the bearings, is much simpler that fitting new. Simply use something to the right diameter and a decent hammer and you shouldn't have a problem. I managed to fit the new by using the outer part of the old bearing to push on the new bearing while in a very big vise, progressively working the new bearing into the hub, the week after the college bought a press! (Been doing motorsport engineering at coll/uni for last 4 years) If you've got use of a press, make use of it.
I didn't have to many problems regarding bushes, although getting the old metal sleeve of the lower wishbone bushes out of the wishbones was a bit of a nightmare, this required heating the wishbone up with a blow torch and then punching out the sleeves, don't know if anyone else had that problem
With regard to driveshafts, there rather simple, just keep where your working clean, grease them up well and don't get too messy

[WIL35]

Thanks for those pointers, looks like I'll need a new gas cannister for my blow torch then!

Got the steering rack nearly out, all bolts loosened, just need to drain the fluid. Was toying with leaving the bearings for now as they will be ok for the MOT, but having read the above I think I will carry on and replace them while it is in bits. Will order some new hub nuts in case the drill and chisel method is the answer!

[WIL35]

Well, all done now; poly bushes fitted, new steering rack gaiters, new wheel bearings, a new cv joint boot and the parts painted gloss black! Passed the MOT yesterday, so am very pleased.

I got Gonella Brothers in Catford to remove and refit the bearings to the hub. Took them on the train on my way to work and collected them on the way home. Cost £40 each side but was easily worth it, not sure how I would have got the retaining ring out without damaging it and was told by Omicron that they new hand made ones for about £50 each!

A word of warning in case anyone bought new cv joints from ebay recently. I fitted one to one of my driveshafts and was happily reassembling until I got to tightening the hub nut. When this got tight the cv joint was pressing and clamping onto the retaining ring and then locking the hub. The old joint was slim enough to fit inside the retaining ring, I'm not sure if these new cv joints do not need the retaining ring in the hub still! Luckily the old ones seem fine at the moment, all nicely regreased.

[hutch6610]

WIL35 - thanks for the warning.
Have been buying up some spares to build up my stock and was on the verge of buying in CV joints from fleaBay - good job i didn't because i would have put them away until needed ..... by which time it would probably have been too late to get back to the seller.

On the subject of wheel bearing locking rings you can purchase (i have) quite a few wheel bearing kits complete with everything  - that's drive shaft nut + locking ring included for £20.00 all in! - half the price of a hand made locking ring 

Need to do a bit of goggling but it pays off in the end - even turned up two thermostats as well for a friends car  - cheers Paul.

I bought the last remaining stock of bearings from Jaystock made by SKF.

Its also interesting that the bearing kit numbers show up on the net if you type it in and search, they appear to be still manufactured in China for some reason (obviously they fit something else other than Fiat and Lancia) but are they any good?

Guess we will never know.

[peteracs]

Hi All

I have to replace at least one of the CV boots, so was not going to get too stressed over undoing the nuts, BUT can I obtain replacement nuts if I chop the old ones off? If so any good pointers for me?

Thanks

Peter

[MattNoVAT]

Yes, you can get new replacements. I think I saved a set from the last coupe I broke.

It's the rounding of the Allen head bolts that's the killer.

[HFStuart]

Hi All

I have to replace at least one of the CV boots, so was not going to get too stressed over undoing the nuts, BUT can I obtain replacement nuts if I chop the old ones off? If so any good pointers for me?

Thanks

Peter

Beg borrow or steal (OK maybe not that last one) a 3/4 breaker bar and use two old wheel bolts with a length of angle or box to lock the hub. The nuts will come undone without much damage so long as you unstake them first.

[peteracs]

Hi Stuart/Matt

Ok, I will give the reuse a go first and see how I get on.....

Peter

[MattNoVAT]

Apologies, I thought you were doing the entire drive shaft which means undoing the 6 allen heads from the inner CV.  If your only doing the outer CV then Stuart is spot on as to the technique & tools.  New nuts are available off Fleabay, I've bought them before when I refurbed my S1 driveshafts and suspension as they had been chiseled previously and I was more comfortable with new ones.

IIRC its a 36mm socket and I had to grind down the outer body of mine so that it would fit inside the flange that protects the nut.

[Ammy]

Just be very careful when loosening the nut. It's big, very tight,  and the socket has a habit of slipping off resulting in breaking a piece off the brake disc flange.  That may no great problem but it does make wheel location difficult when replacing the wheel.

[peteracs]

Hi All

Thanks for the advice, after reading the Haynes book, I thought I had to remove the outer CV to change the boot, BUT.... can I just undo the inner CV and then drop that down and change the boot that way without undoing the hub nut?

Peter

[Ryan]

You can replace the inner rubber cv boot without taking out the entire driveshaft by removing the inner cv.  You'll need a set of circlip pliers, though. 

Helps to do this job on ramps and it will be a bit fiddly... and messy.  Gloves, and plenty of em'

Ryan

[peteracs]

Well, it has been a while since my intention of doing this, but finally got around to getting the CV joints off. In the end gave up with bars etc, even having bought a decent socket for the job. As I was replacing one of the ball joints on the hub, I simply removed the hub, knocked off the driveshaft and took the hub to my local garage guy who looks after my Saab. 30 secs with a decent air tool and off they came. He did say he keeps this particular one for the hard jobs like hub nuts so it does not wear out, as an expensive Snapon one. Lesson learnt, will not be doing it any other way in future, now have to source two CV joints (one of the ones I took off looks like it had a ball missing).

Peter